Buy All The Things

We filed our taxes pretty early this year but got a letter from the IRS saying they had to do some extra processing and wouldn't be able to do direct deposit and that a check would take 6-8 weeks. We finally got our check last week and Dave deposited it. I've been making lists of all the things we need to do. First thing: get Jonas moved out of our room. There are several things that have to happen first before that can happen, though. When we moved something happened to the bunk beds--either they got broken or set up wrong--and they're super unstable. It rocks like crazy so it's not safe to have anybody on top right now. So we have to figure out how to fix that. The bottom bunk needs a new mattress. We need bedding. Jonas is not sleeping well in the rock and play anymore, I think he just needs to move positions sometimes and since he can't he wakes up, which is not a great thing. It turns out I have a limit to how many times I can wake up in one night and still be sane and last night we passed that limit. I got up once with Finn and 10 times with Jonas so when he woke up again at 6:00 am I just left him there and got in the shower. Not fair to Dave who was still sleeping but it was one way I could guarantee Jonas's safety (heh). So I told Dave this morning I'm buying a mattress and the move is happening tonight.

And then Dave called from work. Apparently my name was on the check with his so we both had to sign it, and he just signed it and deposited it. So now the check is lost in limbo and we don't have our tax return.

Still.

I know it'll happen eventually but ugh....

We're also going to buy a new couch, I can't wait! And I'm still waiting to order my birthday furniture since, again, no tax return, but I was planning to buy a TV table. The one I found that I liked is 52 inches and our opening is only 51 inches so I'll have to find something else. We need outdoor tools as well, like a lawn mower, hedge trimmer, and leaf blower. I would like to get blinds for some of the windows in the house--or just install the ones I got for Christmas. We tried on Saturday but the guy who cuts them at Home Depot wasn't there so we're still waiting on that.

I really want to do a small bathroom remodel in our kids bathroom. The bathtub is super super gross so I don't know how expensive that would be to replace but at the least I want to replace the fixtures in the bath/shower and sink. Is it possible to replace the drain on a bathtub that's already installed? That's the worst part. I've scrubbed it and bleached it but whatever is on there is too gross to say and it won't come off, so I'd like to take that whole metal piece off and put a new one on, but it seems like that's part of the actual tub? We need a new toilet or new screws to help hold it in the ground because it moves; I'd like to paint the cabinets and get a real door instead of an accordion door for the bathroom closet. I also hate the tile around the edge of the shower and want to re-do that. It needs new paint and towel hooks too. If I'm dreaming I'd also say a new light fixture and find a way to frame the mirror.

I replaced those bulbs right after I took this picture...

The winds have really started so when Jonas goes down for his next nap I'm going to caulk Noah's window so we don't have to listen to that high-pitched keening (and Noah can sleep in warmth and peace). Our dishwasher doesn't really work so we took our friends old one (they were remodeling) so I've been watching videos this morning about how to remove and install a dishwasher. I found a centipede in the house last night and a spider this morning so I spent Jonas's morning nap spraying for bugs inside and out. I think I've been waiting to do all of this stuff at a time when I don't have the kids around but it's become apparent that that never happens, and it never will. So it's time to just do it. I'm excited to finally get some things done! Who knew owning a house would be so fun and so hard at the same time? But it's exciting to have new things on the horizon!